The present invention relates generally to auto body tools. More particularly, the present invention relates to a precision contouring tool for the contouring and shaping of synthetic fillers to repair damaged body panels on vehicles.
In the past automobile body panels were constructed from heavy gauge metals, and often these panels were flat or nearly flat. Repairing a damaged panel was an iterative process in which a synthetic filler was applied in excess to the panel and then the excess material was cut away using a removal tool, such as a sander or rasping plane, and eventually transitioning to a fine grit sandpaper. It would not be unusual to miss a spot or realize there are some gaps or pits in the filling of the damage after the first application of filler. A new batch of filler would have to be applied and the process repeated until most of the filler was removed, resulting in smooth transition between the metal and filler.
Today, body panels are composed of light-weight metals, are extremely thin, and contain contoured body lines which extend over several panels appearing contiguous over the length of the automobile. When a panel is damaged, these thin, irregularly shaped panels, are extremely hard to fill accurately, often resulting in a “fix” that simply does not match the original contour. What was a painstaking process in the past is presently even more labor intensive, and typically reserved for auto body repair professionals.